


when can i see you again?

by maesilju



Series: yakulev week 2015 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Semi-established yakulev, University AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-11 13:16:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4436870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maesilju/pseuds/maesilju
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Yakulev Week 2015,  day 1: travel & day 2: epistolary. </p><p>Lev goes halfway around the world, and Yaku pines. </p><p>Or:  Yaku thinks that two weeks without Lev will be two weeks of peace and quiet. He turns out to be wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	when can i see you again?

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. The title is taken from Owl City's [ When can I see you again? ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM1YMeDsc-M), because somehow my playlist kept shuffling to it while writing this. 
> 
> 2\. Originally, I meant to write this to fulfill the Day 1 prompt: travel, but then it became something else instead with all Lev's texts and snapshots, and then I figured, why not both Day 1 and Day 2?

“Text me, Yaku-san!” Lev hollers, turning back to look at Yaku once more. He looks as if he’s on the verge of crying, eyes suspiciously wet, and Yaku shuffles uncomfortably, stuffing his hands into his pockets. This is why he’d been so reluctant to see Lev off - he was bad with goodbyes, and tears just made it worse. People were staring, too; Lev isn’t the quietest boy around, not by a long shot, and the last thing Yaku wants to be is the centre of attention. He opens his mouth to speak, closes it when he realises he has no idea what to say, and raises his hand instead in a wave. Lev waves back madly, and his tearful grin is the last thing Yaku sees of him as he vanishes into the crowd. 

 

Lev’s behaving as if they aren’t going to see each other for years, when in reality, they’re only going to be apart for two weeks. It’s the annual Haiba family tradition of going on holiday when summer rolls around, but it’s the first time that Yaku and Lev are going to be apart now that they’re a, well… a _thing_. Boyfriends, Lev would whoop, if he was here, but he’s not. Two weeks without Lev means two weeks of relative peace and quiet. No Lev stealing the covers, no accidentally setting off the fire alarm at two in the goddamn morning, and most importantly, no one bursting into the bathroom screaming ‘HELP ME, YAKU-SAN!’ when Yaku’s still in mid-shower, all because Lev had chanced upon a cockroach in the kitchen and panicked. Yeah, the prospect sounded pleasant enough. It would be a chance to have his apartment all to himself, and get as much work done as possible before Lev got back - he has a habit of disrupting Yaku’s schedule with spontaneous plans, not that Yaku minds too much. But his project can’t be left on the back burner too long - it’s due once term reopens again, so back to work it is. 

* * *

 The first day without Lev isn’t too bad - he tidies up the apartment, brews a pot of tea and settles down to work without much incident. By the time it’s time for dinner, he’s gotten a fair bit of work done. In the middle of the night, though, he’s woken up by his phone going off. Lev’s landed safely in München, and he’s apparently making full use of the airport wifi before he has to leave. The connection is bad; too many travelers trying to use the free wireless at the same time, and he can barely hear Lev over the crackling of the line. He makes out “München” and “Yaku-san” before the line dissolves into static, and it’s just way too goddamn early to deal with this. “It’s four fucking AM,” Yaku snaps, when the static has died down to a more manageable level, and Lev goes quiet for a while, white noise filling in over his end of the line. 

 

“Lev?” Yaku rasps, rolling over onto his back and rubbing his eyes, frowning. It’s not like Lev to be so silent, but then Lev answers, speaking so fast that he stumbles over his words. “Sorry, Yaku-san! I was just - I forgot what time it was in Tokyo, anyway I have to go now! Goodnight and I’m really sorry!” 

 

“Yeah, bye.” Yaku hangs up, bemused, and by the time sleep claims him again, he’s quite forgotten about the weirdness of the whole conversation. 

 

Almost, until he sees the email Lev’s sent him. 

 

** To: morisukeyaku@docomo.jp **

** From: levtheace@docomo.jp  **

 

** Yaku-san!  **

 

** I’m really sorry I woke you up last night! I hope you managed to get a good rest. >_<;; **

 

** I’m going to be in München for a couple days - mum and dad are visiting some friends ; then we’re going to Vienna and Prague. I haven’t been to any of these places before, and I’ve been thinking about it - we should travel together, someday. It’ll be fun!! Well, different fun from traveling with family, anyway. It’s always better with Yaku-san around.  **

 

** Talk to you soon!!!  **

 

** <3  **

** Lev **

 

Lev’s also attached a couple photos - pictures of the food he’s eaten (Yaku eyes the weisswurst suspiciously) and some others of landmarks - the [Frauenkirche](http://s1.portal.muenchen.de/.imaging/stk/mde/galleryPreview600/dms/sw/artikelbilder-620/frauenkirche-slide/document/frauenkirche-slide.jpg), and the [New Townhall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Town_Hall_\(Munich\)), towering over the city square in the glaring summer sunlight. The entire Haiba clan is crammed into one photo, in front of the [Marienplatz fountain](http://www.bz1-img.com/images_customers/04/70/41715239_340943_full.jpg), all silver hair, long limbs and bright smiles, but Lev is the only one that catches Yaku’s eyes. He’s sprawled out on the floor, one hand propping his head up, the other held out in a peace sign, the hem of his t-shirt rucked up just a little, and Yaku presses his fingers to the screen despite himself, traces the curve of Lev’s cheek and thinks, two more weeks.

Yaku takes a photo of the kitchen counter, his mug of coffee steaming beside his opened notebook, propped next to their potted cactus (technically Lev’s, but Lev had made him promise to remember to water the damn thing while he’s away), and sends it, tagged with the caption: _we’re waiting for you_. Embarrassed - he’s not usually this sappy (Lev has ruined him), he puts his phone away and mutes it. He doesn’t want to know what Lev has to say in reply to that (not yet, anyway), and he’s suddenly grateful for the yawning time difference between them, on different sides of the planet. 

* * *

 

The messages and the photos don’t stop. Yaku begins to look forward to them each day, hoarding each little snippet with a tender kind of greed. It’s not quite enough to make up for Lev not being around - the apartment is far too quiet with just Yaku and that damn cactus - but it’s something, and if he looks through all Lev’s texts and snapshots during quiet moments in the day or before he drops off to sleep, well, no one’s the wiser. He grins at the last few texts he’d been exchanging with Lev, who’d run into some familiar friends in Vienna. 

 

_look! I found a cat!!!_  

 

Lev had not just found a cat, he’d somehow managed to attract an entire pack? flock? swarm? of them within minutes, and the shaky pan of his phone as he videoed the entire meowing crowd of felines around his ankles had Yaku snorting a quiet laugh to himself. 

 

_no, you can’t bring them home_ , he replies, before Lev can launch into his usual spiel. _there’s no space for them. besides, they’ll knock over the cactus._  

 

** sabo-chan!!! you haven’t killed him, have you, yaku-san???? :O **

 

_ well….  _

 

**YAKU-SAN!!!! D: <** 

 

Yaku's phone pings from where he’s left it on the table - Yaku’s working out of a coffee shop these days (one more week to go); soothing jazz, interspersed with the clink of cups and the quiet rumble of conversation, all temporary distractions filling in for Lev’s noise. Yaku swipes past the lock screen, tapping on the message notification. Lev's sent him a badly angled selfie of himself beaming, perched on the [Charles Bridge](http://lisaballtraveldesign.com/wp-content/uploads/CharlesBridgePragueCzech_Republic.jpg), and Yaku breaks out into an answering grin. Lev’s hair is windswept, and his ice cream cone, clutched in his other hand, is on the verge of melting, not that Lev seems to have noticed. The bridge of his nose is sunburned and peeling, new freckles dotting his cheeks. He looks so happy, Yaku thinks, with a sudden pang, and he sets down his mug of coffee, suppressing the sharp longing to have Lev back by his side, chattering about how his holiday had gone. It’s only for one more week, anyway, and whatever Kuroo may say, Yaku is most definitely not sentimental. 

 

He types out, _eat your ice cream and buy some sunscreen, idiot. if you fall in, no one’s going to fish you out. you’d be too big anyway._  and slides his phone back into his pocket, trying to focus on his work. 

 

His phone buzzes moments later, with a **so mean, yaku-san!! :( i still wish you were here, though. it feels weird not having you grouching around.**

 

me too, Yaku almost replies, and he lingers more than usual over the text, the cursor blinking on the screen with the weight of so many things that Yaku wants to say but can't, until his phone lights up with a new notification. **gotta go! see you around, yaku-san! ill text when i find another starbucks!!! v(=^･ω･^=)v**

 

He swallows the lump in his throat and shoves his phone to the bottom of his bag, feeling oddly guilty for reasons that he can’t entirely explain. 

* * *

He misses Lev more than he cares to admit, and it’s unfair just how much Yaku can’t bring himself to say it, at least to the only person who counts. It’s stupid, and Yaku doesn’t know why, but just the thought of telling Lev makes something tighten in his chest. He has countless drafts of them saved away in his phone, each one a damning confession - “ _I miss you_ ”, “ _I never thought I’d say it, but without you around, it’s just not the same_ ”, “ _you don’t know how much I miss not having you snore in my ear, idiot_ ”, “ _i think about you, a lot_ ”. _I’m sorry,_ is what Yaku thinks instead, and the messages stay as they are - unsent. 

Kuroo eyes him over his plate of _saba shio yaki_. He’d swung by out of the blue, as was his wont, and forcibly pried Yaku away from his work and out to dinner. “It’s not as if he’ll be gone forever, you know.” 

Yaku rips into his  _unagi_ with his chopsticks, refusing to meet Kuroo's eyes. “Who said I miss him?” He mutters, realising too late that he’s given Kuroo exactly the bait that he was looking for. 

Kuroo tips his head to the side. “Kenma was right,” he drawls, reaching for his mug of beer. “He warned me that you’d be insufferable without Lev around -  a fact which I hope you realise. So, tell me, o Juliet - how long til your bereft heart is whole once more?” Three more days, but it’s not as if Yaku is going to give Kuroo the satisfaction. 

Instead, Yaku aims a kick at him under the table, but Kuroo evades it with infuriating ease. “You could just tell him, you know. That you love him. Lev’s not stupid- he knows, but it’d do the both of you a world of good if you’d just _say something_.” There’s something akin to pity in his eyes, and Yaku flushes hot with embarrassment. “Shut up,” he snaps, and changes the subject, steering it away from him and Lev. Mercifully, Kuroo lets the matter slide, but his words continue to linger in the back of Yaku’s head. 

Yaku’s been staring at the ceiling in the dark for a while now, trying to untangle the mess of thoughts in his head. He grits his teeth. Kuroo’s always been able to get under people’s skin, and Yaku himself is no exception, apparently. _He knows, but it’d do you both a world of good if you’d just say something._  If Lev was aware, then why didn’t he say anything? Yaku reaches for his phone, and scrolls through his messages. 

** I t’s always better with Yaku-san around!  **

** i still wish you were here, though.  **

** i don’t like coffee but [café hawelka](http://www.hawelka.at/cafe/de/) has the best in the city, apparently??? and i tried some. it made me think of you!! another place added on the list we HAVE to visit together!! **

** i’m counting down the days until i see you again!!  **

** I CAN’T WAIT!!! ** (and various repetitions thereof, x 10)

** sorry for the spam i was just rlly EXCITED and YEAHHHHHH FOUR MORE DAYS FOUR MORE DAYS FOUR MORE DAYSSSSSS!!!! **

Lev’s always been straightforward to the point of blunt, unabashed honesty. Was this his way of telling Yaku he’d wait for him, no matter what? 

“Idiot,” he chokes out, into the stifling quiet, and Yaku doesn’t know if it’s himself, or Lev that he’s referring to. 

_I have something to tell you when you get back_ , Yaku types, before he can panic (again), and hits send. 

* * *

 

Lev homes in on him and sweeps him up in a giant hug once he’s cleared customs, and the only reason Yaku tolerates it instead of kicking Lev in the shin is because he hasn’t seen the big oaf in ages (or so he tells himself).  “I missed you, Yaku-san!”

Now or never, Yaku thinks, and he looks up at Lev, biting his lip. Still hesitating, even now, and he kind of hates himself for it. “I - I missed you, too.” He manages, feeling oddly vulnerable, but it’s worth it to see Lev’s face light up as though his birthday had come early, “Yaku-san!"

 

He soldiers on - he owes Lev, and he’s not going to give up now, not when he realises just how much Lev means to him. “I said I had something to tell you when you got back. It’s - well, you probably knew this already. I’m sorry for not saying it sooner. I know I haven’t said it enough, but while you were gone - I just - I realised I needed to tell you this.” He pauses, takes a shaky breath. “I love you.” 

 

Lev beams, and it’s so much more compared to his reckless, devil-may-care grin on the Charles Bridge, or any of his excited smiles at seeing something new for the first time - this one is for Yaku, and Yaku alone, and he presses close, pulls Yaku up into a fierce hug that almost knocks the breath right out of him. 

 

“O-Oi!” Yaku yelps, but then Lev is kissing him, in _public_ , without a care for the numerous onlookers (and _god_ , the entire Haiba clan) staring at them; and safe and sound in the arms of the boy he loves (of the boy who, against the odds, loves him), Yaku finds that he can’t bring himself to care, either. He winds his fingers in Lev’s hair, and kisses back.

 

Lev, predictably, spends a ridiculous amount of time cooing over their cactus, and the various knick knacks he’s collected clutter every available surface in their apartment. The postcards only arrive a few days after Lev’s returned, much to his chagrin, but Yaku reads them all, running his fingers over Lev’s messy, looping scrawl, and tacks them up on the fridge with the horrible magnets that Lev had brought home with him. 

He’s content, the longing stilled at last.  Lev is home, and that means Yaku can wake up to his sleepy, rumple-haired snores and kiss him awake. That’s all he’s ever wanted, and it’s all they both need. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, they have a cactus, and it's called Sabo-chan. No, I don't have any reasons why. Blame Lev. 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this! Lev's trip is mostly based off my backpacking experiences in Europe (I climbed up on the edge of the Charles Bridge and almost lost my phone to gravity, lol). If you ever go to Vienna, make sure to drop by [ Café Hawelka ](http://www.hawelka.at/cafe/de/) \- the coffee and the ambience is totally worth it!
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated! <3


End file.
